


Cherries on Top

by ohthathurt (cloisterrific_221B)



Series: Drabbles [6]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Liam Payne, Barista Zayn, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 22:23:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15301320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloisterrific_221B/pseuds/ohthathurt
Summary: Prompt: “We’re both baristas and sometimes I have trouble reaching for things and I show up to work one day to find a personalized stool with hearts and my name on it i hATE YOU but also thanks”.





	Cherries on Top

Zayn’s pretty sure he’ll never need glasses, not even in his old age, since he’s spent a lot of time exercising his eye muscles by rolling them so much.

He was in his first year of university when he realized that he couldn’t survive on the small amount of allowance his parents gave him every month before he ran out. He felt guilty too, leeching off his parents especially at the age that he was.

So he did the logical thing and soon acquired a part-time job as a cashier at the campus’ coffee shop. And that was great, absolutely wonderful, all he had to do was work for a bit, get paid for it, then head off to his dorms to study.

Pretty busy life, but he was earning and paying off his debts.

Now if only he could stop the feeling of dread whenever he was going into work.

His time as a coffee shop cashier initially had been pretty mundane, come in, man the register and sometimes load up a cup full of whatever sugary Christmas delight an over-worked student wanted and repeat this procedure until closing time.

That was until a fellow dorm-mate joined the crew as a barista.  _Liam Payne._ The bane of his existence. Louis only rolled his eyes at Zayn whenever he spat out Liam’s name, Harry only flashed him a charming but sympathetic dimple-filled smile while Niall only cackled loudly. Now that he thought about it, Niall always cackled loudly at everything.

But there was a sad truth to his hatred, he was actually in love with him.

Currently, he was sat on an empty table at the back of the shop, glaring daggers into said love of his life. Harry, who was sat with him, pointedly cleared his throat until Zayn looked away and turned his glare on him.

“What?” he bit out harshly. Harry frowned at him, a pout forming on his lips.

“Hey, don’t bite  _my_  head off! I’m not the one you hate.” Zayn ignored him and eyed Liam who was stood behind the counter, mixing up drinks with ease, throwing disarming smiles at the female customers.

He gritted his teeth at that. Ugh.  _Liam._ Perfect Liam with his fluffy, wavy brown hair that always bounced excitably whenever he talked animatedly, those puppy-like brown eyes that were always filled with emotions, and those strong, bulging arms under his always-tight T-shirts –

Yeah, so he  _liked_  Liam. Doesn’t mean he was gonna brave it gracefully. If his heart had to fall in love with a stupid choice of a boy, then he was gonna go down screaming and scratching.

Only Liam had never given him  _any_  reason to dislike him, he was always cheerful around Zayn, cracking the silliest jokes that even he had to hide a smile in his shoulder at. He never poked fun at Zayn, not even when he had rushed into work late and Liam had only smiled and pointed out how his face was covered in ink and definitely never poked fun at his height, or lack of it.

So, he was short, sue him, that’s how God made him. Or he was just immensely lazy as a child and never bothered to go outside. Either excuse works.

And Liam was tall, taller than him at least. He wasn’t overly tall for someone his age, just that Zayn was exceptionally short, a fact that he never appreciated, having to work around other individuals who were much taller than him.

Of course, this made for some very awkward run-ins behind the counter during rush hour, where Zayn can’t always be bothered to check where he’s going and often bumped nose first into Liam’s pecs. Which he’s happy to inform are quite soft for someone so muscular.

He has to always physically remove his face from nuzzling Liam’s chest and making an arse of himself but it’s difficult,  _very difficult._

Oh and he  _always_  smells like muffins, like chocolate chip muffins,  _oh wow he just compared Liam Payne’s scent to a bakery item_ , he needs to sleep for 10 hours or for forever.

Abby from behind the counter rings up the till and calls out for him, pulling Zayn out of his insomnia-induced daydream. He heaves himself up and out of his chair with a forceful jump and steps behind the counter to start his service.

Only an hour into the routine, Liam sidled up to him and bent down (yeah he has to bend down sometimes) to whisper, “I got you something.” That gentle brush of air in his ear itself made him blush; he could smell chocolate chip muffins again, as Liam left his side to fill up an order.

Zayn frowned to himself for a bit, hands moving through the motions of work, but mind running through the possibility of what Liam might have got him.

“What –?” Abruptly, he turned around to question Liam but once again was nose-to-chest with Liam, only this time, to his horror, he felt his right foot twist up in the sharp movement and give out.

So, this isn’t exactly how he’d imagined swooning in Liam’s strong arms, and okay the position was quite awkward but  _wow Liam’s strong and the way he just wrapped those arms of his around Zayn’s waist with his hands digging gently into his back and god, yes he had his hands on Liam’s chest right now and –_

“Zayn? Zayn, you okay? Hey, where’d you go, dreamy boy?” Liam’s wide grin came into view as he tilted his head back, dazed amber eyes meeting questioning brown ones.

“Dreamy boy?” He frowned at the horrible nickname, and quickly moved back from their awkward embrace.

“Yeah, you’re always so distant with those pretty eyes of yours. Sometimes I wonder what you’re really thinking.”

“Yeah. alright. Bruno Mars.”

Liam only shrugged and moved back to his station, once again wrapped up in the motions of making whatever beverage that Zayn had billed.

He shook himself from the moment and engrossed himself in his work when –

“Wait!” He half-shouted, before lowering his voice and aiming it at Liam, “What did you say you got me?” He questioned, frowning slightly.

Liam, the bastard, just smiled and shrugged, “Later, it’s pretty busy right now.”

***

Later, apparently, happened after the end of service, when Liam was vigorously wiping down the counter as Zayn closed up the day’s till. He continued sneaking glances at Liam’s figure now and then.

Done with the day’s work, Zayn leant back against the counter and continued watching Liam work. Soon, Liam realized he was being watched and turned to Zayn with a bright grin.

“Can I help you?” He teased Zayn good-naturedly.

Zayn only huffed once, “Now will you show me?”

But Liam was done teasing as he returned his cleaning cloth under the counter and led Zayn with gentle hands on his shoulder to the corner of the shop, where the cleaners’ store room was situated.

Zayn opened his mouth to ask the question on his mind when he saw it.

A childish Batman stool was perched near the store room door, completely yellow and black in colour and what looked like to be  _his name_  written on it.

“What’s this?” He asked, confusedly, turning his head to look up at Liam.

The man only smiled and pointed to the stool once more before shockingly, winding his arms around Zayn’s waist and bending down slightly to place his chin on his shoulder.

“That’s for when I’m not around to get you stuff from the top shelf.” Liam muttered to him, tone gentle and sweet.

Completely thrown off, Zayn had no idea how to react, but his body did it for him.

Soon he was blushing and turning his face around to hide in Liam’s chest, who was laughing delightedly at his reaction. This only made Zayn turn around completely in the circle of Liam’s arms as he continued hiding against his chest.

It was much later that Liam coaxed Zayn out of his embarrassment with forehead kisses and neck nuzzles and a whispered, “So did you want to maybe get a drink sometime? I’m told I make great coffee.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: ohthathurt


End file.
